A Place Of Grace
4-26-26
  • When I originally started my sermon last week it was going to be one message… due to time constraints and a desire for us to get a fuller picture I broke this into two Sundays.
    Verses 1-7 developed a picture for us concerning the DARKNESS of this world and even that we can find ourselves struggling with at times.
    Last week was a little heavier of a message to reflect and ponder on (Who We WERE)
    Verses 8-14 as we will see today, creates a beautiful contrast as we comprehend greater the LIGHT within us
    There is a greater focus on (Who We ARE)
    Ephesians 5:6-7 serves as a Segway between these two concepts and contrast…
    DON’T be fooled or make excuses
    DON’T participate
    WHY… The first five chapters has laid a ground work for us to understand:
    We are adopted as His children
    We have been cleansed
    We were purchased
    We are given a New Nature!
    Paul now draws our attention from the darkness in this world that we looked at in depth last week to the concept of LIGHT… this BTW is a concept throughout all scripture:

    The Greater Concept of Light

    Genesis 1:3-4 states the first recorded words of God…
    Genesis 1:3–4 NLT
    Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
    Interestingly this Light is there prior to the Sun…
    The source of Light is God Himself
    Genesis 1:14-18 describes day four of creation…
    Genesis 1:14–18 NLT
    Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
    The sun for the day… the moon for night in the darkness
    The moon has no light of its own… it merely reflects the light of the sun!
    Mark Twain has an interesting quote concerning the moon, he states: “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody”
    Oh by the way… “He also made the stars”!!!
    We move to the new testament and John introduces Jesus in a unique way… John 1:1-5
    John 1:1–5 NLT
    In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
    The Word created… Jesus is creator
    The Word is “Light & Life”… John describes Jesus Christ as both Light and Life
    In John 8:12 Jesus states:
    John 8:12 NLT
    Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
    Jesus declares in one of numerous “I AM” statements
    Jesus is declaring we can have this “Light”
    You and I do not have to walk in darkness!
    In John 14 Jesus would declare another “I AM” statement… “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”
    John 12:46 declares we do not need to remain in this darkness… there is Trust, there is Faith in Christ Jesus that dispels this darkness!!!
    John 12:46 NLT
    I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
    Paul now in Ephesians is declaring to his readers:
    IF you believe in Jesus Christ
    IF your faith is in the finished work He did at Calvary
    IF He has adopted you and me into His family
    IF we have been given a New Nature… New Life
    THEN… we have this One who is Light indwelling us! As such… BECAUSE He (THE LIGHT) indwells us… we are to LET His Light Shine!
    Ephesians 5:8–14 NLT
    For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

    Past to Present

    “once you were”… these are beautiful words!
    There is not a one here today or listening that were not filled with darkness
    Chapter 2 did such a beautiful explanation of this past darkness to the light
    last week we looked at the MANY areas of our lives that WERE dark
    “but now…” BECAUSE of Jesus Christ
    Our darkness is given something… we are given the very light of Christ Himself
    We “live or walk” as people of Light
    We now… because of this Light produce “good” … “right” … “true”
    We are reminded think through, determine what pleases the Lord
    What we “WERE” is our Old Sin Nature (darkness) BUT NOW we “HAVE” the New Pure Nature (Light)
    Notice here a careful distinction concerning the Light…

    You Have vs You Are

    We are told here that we “have” the Light… it does not say that we “are” the light
    IF God is Light
    IF Jesus created Light and He Himself is the Light
    IF at salvation the very Spirit of God comes to indwell us
    THEN… we have The Light within us… we are not light He is Light
    Mark Twain was right… we are the moon… we reflect the SON!
    The moon has no light of its own, yet it is called to be a light for the darkness of night
    Because of Artemis II we have some spectacular photos of the backside of the moon (where the sun does not shine)
    It’s dark, detail is hidden in the darkness
    The only way the moon produces light… is from the sun
    Notice what the sun does to the moon…
    It shows or “exposes” every crack, dimple, vivid detail
    Its surface “what we see” beautifully reflects the sun
    ILLUSTRATE: Mirror and lamp
    Clean mirror reflects bright
    Dirty mirror struggles to reflect
    Clean mirror exposes when people look at it…

    Exposure of The Light

    Verse 11 can put the church in a bad “light” so to speak if we miss understand it. “instead, expose them” those filthy deed that we spoke of last week.
    This is not speaking to leaving here today and going to your neighbor and calling out all thier sins and “worthless evil deeds of darkness”
    We are not called to stand on the corner with a sandwich board with Ephesians 5:1-14 written on it shouting at people as they go by
    We don’t show up at work tomorrow and call out our boss or co-workers … sinner, sinner , sinner!
    No church that is not what this passage is speaking about… INSTEAD
    I get the cleansing cloth of scripture’s truths and wipe my heart
    I find those areas that the blood of Jesus cleansed through His grace… and leave them in the trash hamper
    I carefully determine what pleases the Lord and strive to please Him as best as I can
    Then as I see and talk with my neighbor, I love them with Christ love (SHINE… darkness exposed)
    Then when I am in public, my actions scream my commitment and love for my Savior (SHINE… darkness exposed)
    Then at work, I strive to be an example of hard work, good speech, encouragement (SHINE… darkness exposed)
    As I live out my Faith, the light shines so bright as I reflect (IMITATE) my Savior… people ask why, what changed, who are you…
    The Light of the Lord that reflects in our lives, actions, our walk, our words… exposes things in the darkness
    They don’t like it when thier darkness, the shadows of sin are exposed, but oh what glorious opportunity it is for us to share HIS GRACE!
    You and I get to share with them this amazing God who extended GRACE to me and how now I desire with all my heart to reflect Him in this dark world.

    Now Shine!

    The last verse here references something most likely from the Old Testament. There is no direct quotation found, rather variable passages that display this truth… most scholars tend to think this was an early church song sung during gatherings.
    Possibly part of the chorus or well known stanza
    Today we will close with a song declaring the Light of the Gospel!
    Before we close however I would like to illustrate with a song my siblings and I would have my little sister sing
    My younger sister (20 years younger) loved to sing. When she was really young she would go around singing all the time… we would ask her to sing this song because it would mortify my mother! The song was “This little Light of Mine”.
    The words go like this if you’ve never heard it…
    This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
    Hide it under bushel, NO! I’m gonna let it shine Hide it under a bushel, NO! I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…
    Well, in her sweet little mind she did not hear the words correctly, nor did she know what a bushel was… her rendition of this song had her sing… “Hide it under a bush, HELL NO!… I’m gonna let it shine!”
    There is good theology there… there is NO WAY we should ever want to hide His Light!
    This little Light of MINE???
    Nope… it is fully His Light… and I want it to shine in me!
    I pray we desire to do all possible to REFLECT / IMITATE His Light to those around us…

      • Genesis 1:3–4NIV2011

      • Genesis 1:14–18NIV2011

      • John 1:1–5NIV2011

      • John 8:12NIV2011

      • John 12:46NIV2011

      • Ephesians 5:8–14NIV2011

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